by Saxon Andrew
Cassandra wiped her eyes dry and forced a smile, “Bring them aboard, Alex.”
• • •
Jake, Tag, and Danielle appeared on the bridge and Cassandra stood and gave Danielle a hug. Danielle looked at her, furrowed her brow, and asked, “Are you ok?”
Cassandra smiled and said, “I’m fine.” Danielle started to question her but Jake said, “How long before we’re supposed to meet that ship?”
Alex answered, “Six hours, Sir.”
“Where’s the twin?”
“He’ll be arriving shortly.”
“Who is commanding that ship?”
“Peg.”
Jake turned around sharply and looked at Tag, “I didn’t think Algeans commanded warships?”
Tag shrugged, “Most don’t. Peg is an exception to that rule.”
“I’ve heard that he’s impetuous and acts without orders.”
“He has shown that trait but he has never made a bad decision. All of his actions have ended successfully.” Tag paused and added, “So far.”
Jake didn’t feel good about the Algean being in command and wondered why he was given command of the Twin. He saw Danielle looking at Tag and saw that she shared his concern. Well, it was too late to change at this late hour. “Where is Newton and Sprig?”
“Sprig will arrive just before we leave and Edison is taking Newton’s place.”
“Why?”
“Edison is better at situations involving possible combat. He overrode Newton on the decision.”
Jake looked at the three Gardners and said, “I’m not sure I’m comfortable with all of these last minute changes.”
Danielle said, “Jake, we should try to avoid conflict. Please just make this a mission to gather information.”
“That ship is a survivor of the Duke’s Universe, Danielle. I’ll try to do as you ask but I do not trust them to be peaceful.”
Danielle looked at Jake and said nothing. Tag stared at Jake and saw that he did not value Danielle’s advice. He felt his temper rise but said nothing. Cassandra felt Tag’s anger and wondered what Danielle knew. Her step-parents were also showing sorrow. Something was wrong.
• • •
Trey sat in the Command Chair and felt the Robbins coming to life. The four hundred crewmembers were on board and manning their posts. Cassie felt Trey’s aura start to strengthen and she added her aura to his. The three mile wide ship started flashing white and blue and then bright blue.
Grace modulated the collectors and the hull started changing back to white. The blue flashes became fewer and after thirty minutes disappeared. This meant all the psychic power was being collected by the ship’s system. She watched the absorption field and saw that it was keeping up with the rising power level. She setup the system and it took over automatically. Now it was up to the Engineering team to keep it stabilized. She looked at Alex’s systems and saw that all of his circuits were active and online. She noticed his weapon circuits were also active. The huge beam projectors on the hull were glowing blue and ready for discharge. She started to say something but realized that if she had control of the weapons she would have been doing the same thing.
• • •
Trey sent a thought to the Crew, “We’ll be leaving in two hours. You will remain at battle stations until we leave our former universe. No one has permission to activate a weapon without my approval.” Trey paused for a moment and waited for that order to sink in and then he said, “You have an hour and half to do whatever is necessary to remain at your station for an extended time. Commanders, allow your sailors to leave in shifts.”
Cassie closed her eyes and felt the nervousness of the crew. She looked at Trey and saw he felt it as well. She smiled and said, “They’re ready. Their tension is natural.”
“I know.”
“Why are you jumping in fifteen minutes late?”
Trey smiled and said, “You know how much I love a grand entrance.”
Cassie laughed, sat down in her command chair, and tightened her restraints. She felt Trey’s underlying anger and worried that he would not follow his instincts and give in to his hatred of the Realm. She could only restrain him so much, but she also felt the Realm deserved whatever they received. She watched Trey closely and he looked at her out of the corner of his eye and said, “I’m cool.”
Cassie smiled, “Yes, you are.”
• • •
Jake looked around the bridge and said, “Alex, notify the twin we’ll be jumping in thirty seconds.”
“Peg has acknowledged the order and has prepared his ship.”
Sprig and Edison were standing on the bridge immediately under the main display, staring at what they were going to see in their old universe. Danielle noticed that Sprig had only said a brief hello before he moved to the display. That wasn’t like the Sprig she knew. Something was bothering him.
She saw Tag staring at the Algean and she sensed him growing nervous. Tag said under his breath, “He senses danger.” She turned and looked at the display Sprig was watching just as the two giant ships jumped and arrived at the meeting coordinates. Every one stared at the display and saw nothing but the old Provincial Capital El Prado below them. The Former Provincial Capital was covered with huge areas that were blasted and barren. It was clear the planet had been attacked from space and the attacker had done massive damage to the surface.
Alex said, “I don’t detect any intelligent life on the planet. That’s probably why the planet wasn’t burned by whoever destroyed the other worlds.”
The Gardners looked at a planet that had a violent history and was just now starting to recover from the nuclear weapons that were used to bombard the surface. Danielle shook her head and wondered what had happened after the Realm left.
• • •
Trey looked at Cassie and thought to the crew, “We’re jumping in ten seconds. Stay alert and follow your orders.” Trey looked at Seed and Weed standing next to the display and asked, “Are you ready for this?”
Weed leaned forward and said, “It’s time we faced our former family.”
Cassie reached over and took Trey’s hand and the accumulators briefly flashed blue as the ship adjusted for the surge in power. Trey pushed the jump button and the Bristone Empire Ship Scotty Robbins disappeared.
• • •
After fifteen minutes, Jake said, “Are you sure about the time, Alex?” Then a giant white ship appeared ten miles from them. Even the two twins were stunned at what they saw. The giant white sphere was at least three miles in diameter and its force field was brilliant. The giant beam projectors on its hull were glowing bright blue and looked deadly. Danielle saw Sprig look at the console under the display and all of his branches fell to his sides. Jake looked at his board and couldn’t speak. Danielle didn’t need to look. She knew the power of that ship dwarfed their technology. Now we will get some answers, she thought to herself.
• • •
Trey immediately saw the two identical two mile long ships in orbit above El Prado. He focused his scanners on them and leaned back in his chair, “They’re stronger than we thought. Those ships together could have handled Greyson. Alex, Grace, stay alert.”
“All systems are at optimal. They don’t represent a threat, Trey.”
Cassie smiled and sent a thought, “Thank you for being punctual. We thought you might not show up.”
Everyone on the Kosievs Bridge heard the thought and Jake looked around and said, “You said some things to our Searcher that has us concerned. We felt we should come and see what you meant in the original contact.”
Cassie said, “And you are?”
“I am Jake Talent. I have Tag, Danielle, and Cassandra Gardner here with me along with Sprig and Edison. I am going to assume you know everyone.”
Cassie said, “I do; I am Cassandra Robbins and I am here with my husband Scotty Robbins the third. We call him Trey.”
“Your ship is remarkable. If my scanners are right, it is more powerfu
l than either of my ships.”
Cassie said, “It is actually more powerful than all of your ships combined. Who rules the Realm now?”
“My wife, Queen Valerie Rose Talant.”
“My, she’s been in power for quite a long time.”
“Yes, she has.”
“Why is that?”
“The other members of the Royal Family have not indicated they wish to replace her. We’ve been unable to find anyone else in the Realm more qualified.”
“I find that interesting. You should also be aware that we have two Algeans onboard who are now members of our Empire.”
Tag saw Sprig whip around and say, “Who are they?”
Cassie looked at Weed and he thought, “I am named Weed and my mate is Seed.”
“What are you doing on that ship? You were forbidden to contact any of those left behind.”
“Actually, we attempted everything to avoid them but were unsuccessful; they found us. However, when this universe was invaded by the Black Ships, we decided to try and slow the Invader’s advance and prevent them from finding the Realm. We were successful in preventing the Realm’s discovery, but as a result of our intervention, the Invaders destroyed every civilized planet in eight universes. What you see here is a result of the actions we took. Seven other universes were destroyed as well.”
Sprig was stunned at the comment and didn’t know how to respond. Jake waited for Sprig to say something and finally said, “You are welcome to join us and go back to the Realm.”
Seed thought, “We decline the offer and choose to stay with our friends here. We have determined that whatever the Realm once represented died long ago. We choose to stand with our Empire that lives by the old values.”
Danielle was startled by the Algean’s response and she immediately looked at Tag, who was staring at the young man on the display.
Sprig said, “You will leave that ship and come with us. As Elder of the Algeans, I order you to do as I order.”
Weed thought, “You have lost your honor, Elder. Your command carries no weight with us.”
Sprig lowered his branches and everyone felt his sorrow. Not only did they fall but his leaves turned a dark brown.
Danielle said, “What do you mean he has lost his honor?”
Weed looked at Trey and said, “Now it is time for you to say what must be said.”
Trey looked at him and nodded, “The Algeans developed a spore that killed an orange pod that the Invaders use as a powerful drug. Any planet that grew those pods died and the Black Ships have been killing universes for millions of years. One of their ships scouted our universe for destruction and we accidently discovered its presence. We used the spores that Weed and Seed developed to destroy their fleets and drug supplies in another universe they were invading. Whoever was behind those Black Ships were not pleased by our actions and decided to take revenge. They determined that the ones who destroyed their drug had to come from one of the universes they had been scouting. The total destruction of our universe and seven others is what they did to punish us. Do you know what a psychic vision is?”
“Yes.”
“My parents had a vision of every civilized planet in our universe being burned several years before it happened. They knew there was nothing they could do to stop it and if they tried, they knew your Realm would found and destroyed along with sixty six planets we had moved to another universe. They were unwilling to allow that to happen so they died in our universe.”
“Why?”
“Because they knew that if the Creator of the Invaders came to our universe, they would see the reflection of the Realm’s three galaxies, which would have not shown up in its scan. The Creator lives in another dimension just as you do. My parents understood that the Realm and every planet we moved to another universe would be destroyed if they changed the smallest detail of that vision. I’m sending you the vision they saw and their final moments.”
Trey sent the visions telepathically and waited for the Realm’s leaders to absorb it.
Danielle was crying. She saw the love of the two couples and the willing sacrifice they made. Tag took her in his arms and held her. Danielle thought to him, “We were once like them but not anymore.”
Jake said, “But you said we were going to be destroyed?”
“We set up a fight so that we could draw one of the Creators out to see what technology we were facing. We had one of our ships fake being damaged and jumped it away using a standard universal drive. One of their creator’s ships followed our ship.”
“And.”
“It was the orange ship of the Demons.”
The fear that coursed through the visitors from the Realm was instantaneous. Jake said, “Are you sure?”
“I’m sending you the video now.”
The orange ship appeared on their display and everyone saw the Demon Ship. Then they saw the giant Green Ships of the Eight Legs and Jake stood up from his chair, “Why did you jump there?”
“Because we weren’t certain it was the Demons. If they reacted to those ships then we would know what we were going to have to face.”
“Did they react?”
“Oh yes, they ran like they were on fire. It appears this group of Demons is frightened of the ones the Realm killed.”
Silence ruled the moment until Peg said, “So you led those Demons to the Eight Leg Ships. Now if they go to the Demon’s Galaxy they will find us.”
“I suspect that after they saw the psychic blast blow by them and once they get their courage up, that is exactly where they’ll be going and if you happen to be there you will be facing their most advanced ships.”
“You deliberately endangered the Stars Realm.”
Trey said, “Yes, I guess you could say that.”
Jake watched the Twin and saw it power up its screens and weapons, “Peg, power down your screens.”
“Those insolent Algeans and those traitorous beings don’t deserve to live. They endangered the Realm.”
Then the two ships heard, “If you don’t want to die, you will come no closer to this ship. I don’t desire to kill you but I will. You should listen to your Prince.”
Cassandra said, “Alex, that sounds like you.”
“It is me.”
Jake said, “Peg, power down your ship. That’s an order.”
The Twin accelerated toward the bright white ship and fired its massive beams which didn’t even cause the giant white ship’s force field to flash. They heard, “You should have learned the lessons of restraint.” The Twin roared up on the white ship and a massive blue beam erupted from its hull and vaporized the Twin, leaving nothing but an expanding gas cloud.
The Kosiev said, “We should leave.”
Danielle said, “Not yet.” And she thought, “We apologize for that attack. We did not come here to fight with you.”
Trey started to respond but Weed said, “Your ship didn’t but that other one did. It was ordered to attack us.”
Danielle looked at Jake with a furrowed brow and he said, “I don’t know what you mean?”
“Ask our Elder. It’s his doing.”
The three Gardners turned to Sprig and he said nothing. Jake said, “He chooses not to answer. Will you please tell us what you know?”
Weed looked at Trey and said, “Now is the time for the truth; the whole truth. Do you mind if I tell it?” Trey nodded for him to proceed. Weed thought, “The Algean commanding that ship was ordered to prevent the truth from being told. He saw we were about to tell it and he had to prevent that happening. We were left behind when our galaxy jumped away because we were caught up on a planet that captured our attention. We were adolescents and unable to break away. However, we knew that if we were patient, we would be taken back to the Realm.”
Jake asked, “How did you know that?”
“I’ll share that piece of information with you momentarily. We were still sworn to the Realm and we saw the danger of the Invaders coming to our universe and seeing the Rea
lm’s reflection. We had to prevent that at all costs. We knew our universe as well as the Realm was no match for the Black Ships so we decided to create the spore that would kill their drug supply. We knew that if we could delay them, help would arrive.”
Danielle asked, “From where?”
“From the Stars Realm.”
Danielle looked at Jake and saw his confusion.
“However, we were wrong. We were originally told that the Realm had left ten stealth probes in our universe to keep track of what happened after the Realm left. We knew that if the Invaders attacked, the Realm would see it and come to the defense of its former citizens. However, when the Black Ships arrived, no one showed up.”
Seed continued, “We were able to absorb each other just as Sprig and Twig did thousands of years ago with the help of Trey. Once we reorganized our knowledge, we found the location of those ten buoys. We took a ship and went to investigate.”
Danielle looked at Edison and Sprig and saw them standing still.
“The first one we went to was only six light years from the place where the Invader Scout hid for more than fifty years scanning our universe. It could not have missed seeing that ship. We arrived at its location and found the debris from its self-destruction. We went to the other nine buoys and they were all blown up in self-destructive blasts. We saw that the Realm had turned its back on our universe and accepted no responsibility for its actions.”
Trey stared at the two Algeans and felt his anger rise almost to the breaking point.
“It was at that point that we knew the Realm was truly dead and that my species was responsible.”
Jake looked at Sprig as he asked, “How did you make that determination?”
“Did the Gardners control the self-destruct frequencies? No, my species had control of all the buoys.”
Weed added, “Along with the Spiders.”
Jake turned to Edison and saw him lower to the floor.
Danielle and Tag were at the view port staring out at the giant white ship, she said, “May I please join you with my Husband on your ship?”
Trey felt his anger instantly vanish and say, “Why!?!”
“I’ll tell you when we arrive.”